Dear Davos: time to declare an emergency opportunity for people and planet

The author urges the World Economic Forum to convene an emergency meeting to review 'delivery and disaster data' regarding climate change and sustainable development. The text argues for a 'Marshall Plan for People and Planet' that shifts financial systems, corporate incentives, and political markets to support the UN's Decade of Action. It emphasizes the need for accountable leadership, transparent reporting, and a focus on the most marginalised populations, particularly in regions like Africa's Sahelian region, to address moral market failures and environmental collapse.

• The author identifies a critical need for an emergency meeting before March 2020 to evaluate 'delivery data' (innovation and investment rates in technology and policy solutions) and 'disaster data' (including greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss, and extreme poverty).
• To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, the document proposes a systemic global response described as a 'Marshall Plan for People and Planet', a 'Global Green New Deal', or an 'Eco-Social Contract'.
• The financial system is highlighted as a primary lever for change, with a call for the development of sustainability measurement methodologies and system-wide SDG standards to be concluded by the 2021 G7 summit in the UK.
• The proposed strategy must prioritise those most affected by extreme climate, poverty, and gender discrimination, specifically citing marginalised women and girls in Africa's Sahelian region.

APA

Drummond, J. C. (2020). Dear Davos: time to declare an emergency opportunity for people and planet. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/sustainable-development/dear-davos-declare-an-emergency-opportunity-for-people-and-the-planet-in-2020/

Chicago

Drummond, Jamie C. Dear Davos: time to declare an emergency opportunity for people and planet. World Economic Forum, 2020. https://www.weforum.org/stories/sustainable-development/dear-davos-declare-an-emergency-opportunity-for-people-and-the-planet-in-2020/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Drummond |first1=Jamie C. |title=Dear Davos: time to declare an emergency opportunity for people and planet |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=19 January 2020 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/sustainable-development/dear-davos-declare-an-emergency-opportunity-for-people-and-the-planet-in-2020/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{drummond2020dear, author = {Drummond, Jamie C.}, title = {{Dear Davos: time to declare an emergency opportunity for people and planet}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2020}, month = jan, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/sustainable-development/dear-davos-declare-an-emergency-opportunity-for-people-and-the-planet-in-2020/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }